2 Barstools and a Knife

05/04/2021

https://www.facebook.com/groups/letseatsouthflorida/permalink/871618546727723/

04/09/2021

What a treat for the 2 Barstools and a Knife team to be joined by world-acclaimed chef, restaurateur, author, and all-around awesome person Chef Norman Van Aken. While we did not get a chance to talk about chef's multiple James Beard awards, we did talk about his humble beginnings doing odd jobs from "hot tarring" roofs to his first entry into the culinary world as a short order cook. Chef tells some amazing stories about the long list of culinary talent that has flowed through the ranks of his restaurants, to the eternal friendship he developed with Chef Charlie Trotter. We could not agree with Chef more when he shared his advice on getting into the culinary/hospitality world: "This business chooses you. You don't choose it." and his drive to be a "lifelong learner." We know you will hear the same passion we did, which will make you hungry to learn and hungry to eat some of Chef's delicious food! We close out the show with some Speed Rail Key West recommendations from the guys & Chef Norman. Please take a listen, enjoy this episode, and be sure to check out any of Chef Norman's six cookbooks and his personal memoir . We certainly enjoyed the conversation and could have spoken for hours!!!!

04/06/2021

Bacardi Center of Excellence is kicking off the spring with 3️⃣ very talented hospitality professionals this Thursday April 8th @ 1 PM

Sign up now at Bacardi.fiu.edu/talks to hear from Richard Coraine, senior advisor & co-founder of Union Square Hospitality Group, Kate Amos, general manager of MARTA and Alan Zurita, HR business partner of Union Square Events
You don’t want to miss this!

Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management

Listen to our first Bacardi Talks https://hospitality.fiu.edu/2barstoolsandaknife

04/02/2021

How lucky are we here at the Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management and at the 2 Barstools and a Knife podcast? We teach our students daily to surround themselves with the best and brightest. Today, we helped them in that effort with our guest speaker Heidi Hinkle Vargas who is one of the best and brightest on Pete Carr's team over at Bacardi North America, who just happens to be the Chaplin School's partner in all things spirits. Heidi discusses her role as VP and Managing Director of On-Premise for Bacardi and her career path in getting to that position. Heidi shares stories overcoming the challenges of a huge hotel opening in Vegas and now working through the current challenges with Covid. Heidi discusses some "hot off the presses" news and stats with our students that really give us all cause for optimism in the Hospitality world. Heidi also shares the thoughtful philanthropic work Bacardi has done to give back to our community. Heidi closes our show with some great student advice and reminds us of Bacardi's vision for this year: Outsmart, Outwork, Outperform. It is a vision we share here at 2 Barstools and a Knife and at the Chaplin School...enjoy this episode!

John Noble Masi, BP Connors

04/02/2021

The industry expert speakers don’t stop at ! 👏

Bacardi Center of Excellence is kicking off the spring with 3️⃣ very talented hospitality professionals.

Sign up now at Bacardi.fiu.edu/talks to hear from Richard Coraine, senior advisor & co-founder of Union Square Hospitality Group, Kate Amos, general manager of MARTA and Alan Zurita, HR business partner of Union Square Events

You don’t want to miss this!

Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management

03/22/2021

2 Spirits professors and a chef talking about what is going on in the hospitality industry and what people are drinking and eating; then, now, and in the future!

03/19/2021

2 Barstools and a Knife is at it again, and together in the Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management recording studio with a new guest and a new concept that had Professor Dodge’s head spinning.

This week we were talking to Kyle Billings of Lyre's Spirit Co. The trend of low and non-alcoholic beverages is on the rise and Lyre’s is putting out a high quality, premium non-alcoholic spirit with incredible branding.

We did not completely abandon alcohol this week, as the Speed Rail focused on us and our guest and we had to paint a picture of our perfect cocktail experience. One of our very first fans, Philip, stopped by during our recording and watched how the sausage is made. Thanks Philip and all our great fans out there!

We are shifting to dropping episodes every other week to ensure Quality over Quantity!!!

We also have a couple of surprises in store for you this season, so be sure to watch out for special content as we get it.

New episodes every other week.

03/05/2021

With Saint Patrick’s Day right around the corner, we thought it was time to bring in a Irishman from Boston. This week, the guys have kissed the Blarney Stone and gained the gift of eloquence with Sean O’Toole, President of TEAM (TEAM Enterprises). Sean has a great story, and he certainly experienced the Luck of the Irish when he started his career with an assignment for Pl***oy that lead him to a career in the field of Experiential Marketing.

Sean and his TEAM work with legendary brands, such as a 30 year relationship with Bacardi North America, MillerCoors, BMW/Mini Copper and Lavazza Coffee, just to name a few. They dive a little deeper into what Experiential Marketing is and how TEAM creates one-of-a-kind ‘experiences’ for their partners. They wrap up the show with a Speed Rail ‘Boston Edition,’ and they all agree no green beer on Saint Patrick’s Day! Listen, Learn and Laugh!

Learn more about the amazing work and career opportunities with TEAM. (https://www.teamenterprises.com/)

New episodes every Friday: https://hospitality.fiu.edu/2barstoolsandaknife

02/22/2021

Today is National Margarita Day. Let's look back all the way to Episode 24 when we had a great conversation with Manny Hinojosa from Tequila Cazadores.

New episodes every Friday, but it is fun to listen to some of the older shows too.

https://2barstoolsandaknife.buzzsprout.com/1080893/5491798-episode-24-manny-hinojosa-tequila-cazadores

02/19/2021

Let’s talk about wine and the future of the industry! This week the guys are joined by the leadership behin Wine Future 2021 - Pancho Campo, Master of Wine & David Furer, Wine Educator - and the fabulous Dr. Laura Catena of the renowned Bodega Catena Zapata winery in Mendoza, Argentina - a fourth generation Argentine vintner, physician, and author.

Wine Future 2021 is a multiple-day virtual conference that kicks off next week. The conference is designed to address the challenges that the wine industry is facing. Pancho and David also talk about the amazing lineup of industry speakers such as our own DeanMichael Cheng, the legendary Mel Dick of Southern Glazer's Wine & Spirits, and Francis Ford Coppola Winery just to name a few.

Laura Catena will also be a moderator at the virtual conference, discussing the Impact of COVID-19 on the wine industry. We had the chance to ask the good Doctor about her family business, what the past year was like for the Mendoza, Argentina region, and some helpful advice for our female students wanting to start a career in the wine industry. This was an insightful and informative show and we wrap it up with a wine-driven Speed Rail with Professor Connors. Listen, Learn and Laugh!

Learn more at https://www.winefuture2021.com/en/

New episodes every Friday: Hospitality.fiu.edu/2barstoolsandaknife

Nathan Dodge, John Noble Masi, Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management

02/13/2021

Happy Valentine's Day from your favorite FIU Chaplin Hospitality podcast crew! Professor Nathan Dodge, Dr. Hertz (sitting in for Professor Connors), and Chef John Noble Masi were joined by guest service expert and all-around hospitality heavy hitter, Michael Fiato. As the Senior VP of Customer Experience with Compass Group, Mike has "literally" written the book on keys to a GREAT guest experience. Mike discusses his restaurant days and his transition into the corporate foodservice world that began while on a vacation to Disney World. Mike shares an amazing story about how his Disney experience changed his view on the delivery of hospitality moving forward. We all talk about what is most important in delivering an exceptional experience, and Mike reminds us that it starts with a smile - which people can be seen even through your mask! Mike also reveals how Covid allowed him the opportunity to write his new book "Hospitality Edge." Finally, he imparts how his visits to various customer service-focused companies like Southwest, Disney, Pike's Place Fish Market, and others have shaped his view that the hospitality experience is just as much "emotional" as it is "technical." We could not agree more! Cheers to a great weekend! New episodes every Friday!

Hospitality.fiu.edu/2barstoolsandaknife

02/05/2021

That’s another show in the can!” ...well, at least a Ready-to-Drink (RTD) can. This week, Professors Dodge, Connors, and veteran back-up host, Professor Gabe Urrutia, had the privilege of speaking with Gabriela McCoy about the state of the beverage industry and the new 2021 Bacardi Cocktail Trend Report. It was an interesting conversation, discussing what is hot right now in the cocktail arena from the RTD’s, to Tequila, to the classic cocktails making a comeback. Connors finished off the show with his Speed Rail, talking about cocktail trends from days gone by that were fabulous or flops. Listen, Learn and Laugh! New Episodes every Friday.

Take a look at the Bacardi 2021 Cocktail Trends Report https://go.fiu.edu/bacarditrends for more information.

Hospitality.fiu.edu/2barstoolsandaknife

02/04/2021

Our boy Professor Connors visited with Modern Bar Cart podcast this week. Some of the topics they discussed include:

• His travels through the world of hospitality and education, including stints at Cornell, and Johnson & Wales, time spent in Ireland and at Michelin star restaurants in France, and even a little bit of chef work on private yachts.

• How Brian thinks about generalists and specialists in the hospitality space and what you can do to apply your unique skill set to a bar or restaurant career.

• What Florida International University and Bacardi are doing to explore the new face of hospitality during a pandemic and prepare the next generation of chefs, bartenders, and managers for the challenges they’ll face moving forward.

• Why Bar Project 2021 took a page out of the tech industry’s playbook by incorporating a sort of hospitality hackathon into their program.

• Where Brian and I think the industry is headed as we continue our march into 2021 and beyond.

• How to survive a drunken trip to Oaxaca with Hunter S. Thompson,

• And much, much more

https://www.modernbarcart.com/podcast/episode-177-future-of-hospitality-brian-connors-bar-project-2021

Eric interviews Professor Brian Connors of Florida International University about the future of the hospitality industry and his latest undertaking: Bar Project 2021.

01/29/2021

“Life is too short to drink bad wine.” I know we have said it before, but that is because it's true. This week, the Chaplin School's finest are conversing and sipping with Ana Fabiano, author of The Wine Region of Rioja. “It feels like we are actually on a culinary & wine vacation touring the wine regions of Spain, and I need a vacation!” said Professor Dodge. Ana has a knack for great storytelling and Connors, Masi, and Dodge were just soaking it all up. It really has been a long time since some of us have traveled, and heading to La Rioja wine region, Spain is now at the top of our lists.

It was not all about the stories; Ana also went into detail about the new Rioja Wine Academy (RWA) certifications and their partnership with FIU Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management, launching this spring. “Certificates really help to make a resume pop and get noticed in the modern hospitality industry,” states Chef Masi. We finished up with a "Lovely Day" twist to the Speed Rail and talked about our past, present, and future travel aspirations! Listen, Learn & Laugh!

New Episodes every Friday: hospitality.fiu.edu/2barstoolsandaknife

01/22/2021

The future is bright! On this week’s episode, some hospitality powerhouses join the Gents! It is all about people development in the new world of hospitality education. Professor Mary Connors and Dr. Chris Muller are launching the FIU Chaplin School’s latest innovation, the Professional Hospitality Development (PHD) Program.

We ask Dr. Muller, a leading expert in multi-unit restaurant development and leadership, about the state of the restaurant segment. He has some amazing insight as to why he feels we will see a tremendous ‘green shoots movement’ and a new age of restaurants. Professor Connors, also a sought-after Global Consultant, added her thoughts on the future of ‘people development’ and our new approach to learning. We all agree their timing is perfect to launch the new Professional Hospitality Development (PHD) Program that will help hospitality professionals at all levels grow and expand their skills & knowledge. “We are looking forward to creating ‘THE NEW’ for the hospitality community that has experienced many challenges this past year,” said Mary Connors. We wrap-up this marvelous conversation with an entertaining Speed Rail when we discuss the best & worst things about teaching and why we all love it! Listen, Learn and Laugh!

New Episodes every Friday!
Hospitality.fiu.edu/2barstoolsandaknife
BP Connors, Nathan Dodge, John Noble Masi, Cristina Moguel, Yuli Sosa, Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management

01/15/2021

The guys are back for more! To start season two, we are joined by one of our favorites: Greg Lambrecht the Chairman and inventor of the Coravin. Greg is a serial entrepreneur with a passion for need-based inventions. He is also a great storyteller with a love of wine and creating a better wine world. Greg started his career in the medical industry and found his niche in inventing problem-solving medical devices that lead him to the invention of the Coravin Wine Preservation Systems, which gives us the freedom to enjoy any wine, anytime.

The guys talk about how the restaurant segment is utilizing the Coravin System to create a better wine experience, increase revenue, and minimize loss for by-the-glass programs. “You’re lucky when you can change a segment and change consumer behavior,” says Greg. Learn about Greg and his team's next invention and how sparkling wine is next on the horizon. We talk about sustainability and finish out with the Speed Rail featuring an entrepreneurial twist! Listen, Learn, and Laugh!

New Episodes every Friday:
hospitality.fiu.edu/2barstoolsandaknife

Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management, BP Connors, John Noble Masi, Yuli Sosa, Cristina Moguel, Center of Excellence

01/10/2021

They guys are back and excited for another season of "2 Barstools and a Knife". They kick it off with Greg Lambrecht founder and inventor of Coravin. New episodes every Friday.

12/18/2020

We’re wrapping up the year and season 1 of “2 Barstools and a Knife” with a pretty, little bow. Professors Dodge, Connors, and Masi reminisced about their favorite episodes over these last nine months. They chatted about what they liked the best, what they were surprised by during the first year’s episodes, and what they are looking forward to during season 2 of the show. Listen in for some Christmas ideas, wine suggestions, and the guys enjoying each other’s company for the last time in 2020. We’ll see you with exciting, new episodes in 2021!

https://hospitality.fiu.edu/2barstoolsandaknife/

12/04/2020

We are in the last month of 2020, so let’s make it count! This December, “2 Barstools and a Knife” will focus on a mixed bag of discussion subjects - from restaurants, to holiday gift ideas, to what wine/spirit to pair with your favorite meal. Professor Nathan Dodge, Chef John Noble Masi, and Chef Jeremy Houghton jumped right in with a conversation with restaurateur, Memphis Garrett. If you watched "Big Brother All-Stars” on CBS, that name might sound familiar. Memphis starred on seasons 10 & 20 of the hit reality show, but don’t call him a reality star. Memphis prefers restaurateur or entrepreneur, and he was gracious enough to talk with us about his past, current, and future projects.
We talk to Memphis about his journey from his childhood sitting at the end of a bar, to his education at Dedman College of Hospitality at Florida State University, to opening restaurants and hotel concepts for SBE in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, & Miami, and finally settling in Fort Lauderdale with Memphis Staffing and his other projects. Memphis has a lot to be proud of, and he understands what it is like to realize when something isn’t working and when to get out.
Memphis had some great points, including the fact that there is nothing wrong with starting from the bottom, and without completing a consistent analysis of your sales and costs, you will never know how your business is really doing.
We look forward to seeing more concepts from Memphis in the future, and the return of Professor Brian Connors next week.
New shows every Friday. https://hospitality.fiu.edu/2barstoolsandaknife

Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management Cristina Moguel Yuli Sosa

11/27/2020

This week the guys are joined by the CEO & President of Southern Glazer's Wine & Spirits, Mr. Wayne Chaplin. What a great conversation with family stories, business insights, and a discussion about the future of hospitality education. As we recorded this episode before Thanksgiving, Wayne shared stories of his family and the early years of Southern Wine & Spirts, including how he left the legal profession and joined the family business to create a beverage industry juggernaut!

We all truly enjoyed this conversation with our school's namesake, and we learned more about the Chaplin family’s commitment to the community & education.

• “The stories about Wayne and his father are just fabulous,” says Chef Masi.

• “This is a must listen for anyone in or wanting to join the hospitality/beverage industry,” said Prof. Connors.

• “What a great way to wrap up November and our episodes about what we are thankful for; Mr. Wayne Chaplin is at the top of the list!,” states Prof Dodge.

Thank you, Wayne, and the Chaplin family, for your continuous support of the Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management and the Bacardi Center of Excellence.

New Episodes every Friday: https://hospitality.fiu.edu/2barstoolsandaknife

11/20/2020

The guys continue our November month of thanks with another great guest this week! Is there a Doctor in the house? There is a Doctor in our “2 Barstools and a Knife” house this week as the guys interview the Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management's own Dr. John Buschman. Dr. Buschman represents everything our School stands for, starting with his tremendous international background. John worked at hotels across the US, Europe, South America, and even in South Africa. John reflects on his once-in-a-lifetime meeting with the then soon-to-be-President of South Africa, Nelson Mandela. He goes on to share the significant impact of his work rescuing food at our Food Network & Cooking Channel South Beach Wine & Food Festival, the amount of food rescued, and how both his and the School’s efforts to support the Festival have grown over the years. We close the show with some important tips on how we can be more sustainable in our own lives, and we get a super-fun continuation of the Professor Connors' Speed Rail questions... How many wineries are there in Michigan???? We are extremely thankful for having such great guests, great opportunities to learn & chat with them, and most importantly, to be supported by great colleagues. So, in the spirit of our Thanksgiving holiday week coming up, we would like to acknowledge and give our sincere thanks to our two incredibly talented and hard-working producers: Yuli Sosa & Cristina Moguel. We could not do this show without their vital support. Special thanks to them and to all our listeners: We wish you and your loved ones a Happy & Safe Thanksgiving. To support the efforts of the FIU Food Pantry, visit https://go.fiu.edu/cshtmfoodpantry

New Episodes Every Friday: https://hospitality.fiu.edu/2barstoolsandaknife

Nathan Dodge, John Noble Masi

11/14/2020

Great show with a friend and colleague Ryan Bibbo. Have a listen!

11/13/2020

This week, the guys are joined by Bacardi’s Vice President of Human Resources, Ryan Bibbo. They talk about Ryan’s illustrious career path in the beverage industry & his fun-filled career. Ryan tells the story of how he met a guy named Pete Carr (2 Barstools and a Knife’s reigning download champ) and how they took a journey to work on the distributor side of the business at Glazer’s, now Southern Glazer's Wine & Spirits. Our conversation continued to focus on Bacardi. “Something about a family-owned business…,” says Ryan, as he talks about the long-term strategy and how family is at the core of their culture. At Bacardi, there are no employees only 'Primos,’ the Spanish word for cousins. “Family” is one of Bacardi’s three pillars that also includes “Founders” and “Fearless.” We learn about taking risks, product innovation, and helpful career advice from a seasoned HR professional. And back by popular demand - the Speed Rail! Have a listen, laugh, and learn!

New Episodes Every Friday, on FIU Streaming: https://hospitality.fiu.edu/2barstoolsandaknife

John Noble Masi, BP Connors, Nathan Dodge

Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management

11/06/2020

Welcome to November and our month of thanks! Can you believe this is our 31st episode?! Time has flown by so quickly these past several months. In this week's episode, we welcomed one of our biggest fans to the show – and it’s no surprise that we are all his biggest fans as well. While Florida International University and the Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management have experienced many changes over the past 46+ years, there has been incredible consistency and unparalleled high standards maintained by our Associate Dean of Alumni Relations, the legendary Rocco Angelo. We put on our sport coats and dressed up for our discussion with Rocco. We talked about what things were like in the early years: Rocco's journey from his early career in hotels, his time at Cornell University, and what brought him to FIU. We loved talking about some of the school’s incredible history. Rocco shares with us some great stories and advice as well as his thoughts on the differences between students back when he started vs. students of today. You may be surprised by his answer. So, what are you thankful for this month??? We are incredibly thankful for Rocco, and we thank him for always being there for us & for any student or colleague that has passed through the doors of FIU. Enjoy this episode! New episodes every Friday
On FIU Streaming: https://hospitality.fiu.edu/2barstoolsandaknife

John Noble Masi BP Connors Nathan Dodge

10/30/2020

It’s Halloween and the guys are talking about ‘ghost kitchens’ (neighborhood kitchens) and the next wave of delivery of chef-driven meals at your door step. Our special guest is Alan Philips, Chief Creative Officer of REEF Technologies. Alan shares his journey from brand experience marketing to joining the innovative REEF group this year. Professor Dodge jumps right in with “What is a ghost kitchen?,” and you will learn how REEF is taking parking lots & celebrity chefs to the next level by creating neighborhood kitchens that can help ‘save’ the restaurant segment. REEF has already teamed up with beloved local restaurants and national brands from David Chang’s FUKU Ramen, Jack's wife Freda in New York, The Grubsteak Restaurant & Saucy Asian in San Francisco, and Michael's Genuine Food & Drink & Della Bowls here in Miami.

On FIU Streaming: https://hospitality.fiu.edu/2barstoolsandaknife


John Noble Masi BP Connors Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management

10/23/2020

10/23/2020

In this week's episode, the guys: Professor Houghton (filling in for the Napa-bound Professor Connors), Professor Dodge, and Chef Masi continue our fall-focus with guest restaurateur, the President and Owner of the award winning DiSalvo's Station Restaurant, Joey Disalvo. Joey discusses celebrating the restaurant's 30th year in operation as well as his Italian roots growing up in the family restaurant business. Joey shares his journey, graduating from both The Culinary Institute of America & Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management, before assuming the reins of the family restaurant business in Latrobe, PA. It was great to learn more about Joey's focus on how he drives the daily sales at his restaurant in addition to dealing with the challenges of Covid. We also loved hearing about Joey's passion and his thoughts on giving back to the community which he serves via his biannual “Taste the Good Life” charity events. We had a blast trying to keep up with Joey's energy...Listen and you will know what we mean. Enjoy! New episodes every Friday.

On FIU Streaming: https://hospitality.fiu.edu/2barstoolsandaknife

10/16/2020

Beer, beer, glorious beer! How can we do Octoberfest without a discussion about beer!?! You can call it birra, bier, piwo, or cerveza; I call it delicious. We pop some suds with FIU Alumnus and beer guru Luis Brignoni (2008), president and founder of Wynwood Brewing Company. What a fun conversation about transitioning from a Mr. Beer home-brewing kit to being part of the largest beer company in the world! How has coronavirus impacted Wynwood Brewing company on-premise and off-premise business? How did they end up on the NCL Escape? What is next for the beer industry and their brand? You will have to listen to find out. New episodes every Friday.

On FIU Streaming: https://hospitality.fiu.edu/2barstoolsandaknife



Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management
Nathan Dodge, BP Connors, John Noble Masi, Cristina Moguel

10/09/2020

What a great start to the Fall season & Oktoberfest at 2 Barstools and a Knife! This week, we speak with a true legend in the world of culinary education. Similar to what Associate Dean, Rocco Angelo, means to us at FIU and in the world of hospitality education, ACF Certified Master Chef Fritz Sonnenschmidt shares that same legendary status in the world of culinary education. We start our discussion with Chef’s culinary training in the traditional European apprenticeship, where he studied under a master chef who just happened to be female. Chef shares how travel has influenced both his palate and acceptance of other cultures, having worked internationally at various hotels and restaurants including time in Pakistan, Sweden, India, and England before settling in New York. While in New York, Chef worked at a premiere kosher caterer and various hotels, highlighted by his Executive Chef role at the Sheraton Hotel, before he found his home at The Culinary Institute of America (CIA). Chef shares what it was like to teach thousands of young culinarians the Art of Classic Garde Manger (cold buffet preparation) over his 30+ years at the CIA as well as leading the school in various administrative roles, including serving as the school’s Culinary Dean. Chef has written several cookbooks, and he has earned gold medals from his time in the Olympics. Chef clarified for us that “Olympics” was the 1976 Culinary Olympics, not the athletic Olympics! Chef Sonnenschmidt gives us all some inspiring advice by his sharing stories that are both insightful and brought us all to tears of laughter. Please join us for a show that left us all smiling. Cheers to a great Fall! Enjoy this episode!

10/08/2020